On 9/01/2014 mabsydney wrote:>Has anyone does this route in recent times? It looks like a great line>and I'm wondering if an onsight attempt is feasible or if it requires cleaning>on rap first.>>Cheers!

Why stop at rap cleaning? Why not come up to speed with modern times in the Blueys and retro it to your convenience as well?

The traverse under the roof is quite vegetated, but I don't think that it would be too hard to clean it on lead with your nut key. The rest of the vegetation is after all the hard climbing, and won't be too big a deal.

I've been trying to psyche myself up to go out there and clean it so I can have a shot at it, but it seems I'm better at procrasatinating than climbing =P

Jumped on this today in pretty hideous heat (but before the sun hit the wall).

The vegetation isn't too bad. It definately makes it a bit scarier, and you will end up covered head to toe in fern fronds, but it doesn't stop any potential onsight.

Alas, my onsight ended coming around the arete at the end of the roof trying to gain the waco on the other side past the lip... Basically, I didn't commit and got scared. It's an intimidating climb from the start until you're established on the face above the roof. It took me a few goes to figure out the very cruxy crux, then a cruise to the top.

The rock at the bottom is horrible shale and the gear is terrible, but as you get higher up both improve (but the scariness increases). I used a single rack of cams, quite a few wires and 1 hex. Lots of runners.

I left a hex and a cordalette (attached to a fixed nut) just below the easy top out so you can clean on rap (my seconds weren't keen to follow me) with some effort. If you get on this before I do and manage to pick up my gear, can I have it back? If not I'll collect it when I return for the send.

You can thank me for the tick marks on 2 crucial crux holds after you onsight (chalksight?) it =P

After watching the Bad Moon Rising onsight attempt, Bultitude got inspired and got on Transcedental Meditation. I offered him a beer if he could dog free to the first ledge, a bottle of bourbon if he got to the top of the route and good bottle of bourbon if he onsighted.

Here's the high point after an attempt

Aid tactics were resorted to eventually as you can see, to get to the tat we could see at the first ledge. My beer money was safe, although I give him points for the hilarious beached whale mantle, thought he was going to come off for sure.

Right up the back of the alcove has to be one of the best summer belay spots in the bluies, well in the shade and with a cool breeze coming out the back of the crack.